1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to an apparatus for reliably reproducing and photographing a design produced by a kaleidoscope-type configuration wherein the configuration is adjustable so as to produce a great variety of designs. Additionally, this invention pertains to an apparatus for producing evenly exposed photographic images in such a system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The kaleidoscope is a well-known toy. The kaleidoscope can create a nearly infinite number of designs. In fact, the common wisdom of childhood holds that one can never get a kaleidoscope to create the same pattern twice.
While U.S. Pat. No. 4,952,004 issued on Aug. 28, 1990 to Baird et al. has made some recent improvements to the kaleidoscope, the kaleidoscope has not progressed to a widely-used professional design instrument in due to its inability to reliably reproduce patterns.
Additionally, it has been difficult to achieve evenly exposed photographic images from kaleidoscope apparatus and in other applications where a wedge-shaped element in the object to be photographed is brighter than the remaining portion of the scene (such as an interior photograph of a stained-glass window). While filters with 360.degree., 180.degree., 90.degree. or similar portions including neutral density elements are known in the prior art, these filters have not provided a satisfactory solution in this regard.